Notre Dame's AD is encouraging Manti Te'o to speak publicly

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) -- Notre Dame athletic director Jack
Swarbrick says the school has encouraged linebacker Manti Te'o to speak
publicly -- and soon -- about being the victim of a hoax involving a dead
girlfriend who never existed.

Notre Dame AD Jack Swarbrick joins those who feel Te'o should talk about his situation. AP

Swarbrick said during the taping of
his weekly radio show, which airs regionally on Saturday but was posted
online as a podcast on Friday, that Te'o has to explain exactly how he
was duped into an online relationship with a woman whose "death" was
then faked by the perpetrators of the hoax.

"I don't have any
specific knowledge as to how and when, but I can't fathom a circumstance
where it doesn't (happen). I sort of share everybody's view that it has
to happen. We are certainly encouraging it to happen. We think it's
important and we'd like to see it happen sooner rather than later,"
Swarbrick said.

Swarbrick added that before Deadspin.com broke the
news with a lengthy report on Wednesday, Te'o and his family had
planned to go public with the story Monday.

"Sometimes the best
laid plans don't quite work, and this was an example of that. Because
the family lost the opportunity in some ways to control the story," he
said.

He said the university doesn't have anything more to add.

"It
is in the Te'o family's court," he said. "We are very much encouraging
them. I hope by the time people are listening to this they have made
themselves available to explain and to take questions, because we think
that's in everybody's interest. It's certainly our expectation at Notre
Dame that they would do that."

Swarbrick said again he is
confident Te'o is the victim and did not back away from the strong
support he gave the All-American during a news conference Wednesday
night, when the AD said an investigation done by a firm hired by the
school turned up evidence that supports Te'o's claim he was not
involved.

Swarbrick said he will continue to believe that until given "compelling evidence to the contrary."

He said he understands why some people are skeptical about Te'o's story.

"They
have every right to say that," Swarbrick said "Now I have some more
information than they have. But they have every right to say that. I
don't feel any sort of ill will toward that position. If I was on the
outside of this presented with the only facts I have at this point -- and
importantly at the time we're recording this Manti has yet to speak
publicly -- I think that skepticism is easy to understand. I just ask
those people to apply the same skepticism to everything about this.

"I
have no doubt the perpetrators have a story they will yet spin about
what went on here. I hope skepticism also greets that when they're
articulating what that is." -- Tom Coyne, Associated Press